莱索托境内的恐龙足迹遗址分布极广且保存完整,这些印记大多形成于距今 1.8 亿至 2 亿年前的侏罗纪早期。作为世界上恐龙足迹密度最高的地区之一,这里的足迹不仅留在实验室里,更多是直接裸露在河床、山坡或公路旁的岩石上。在勒里贝(Leribe)附近的苏本溪(Subeng Stream),游客只需支付大约 20 到 50 洛蒂的小费,就能在当地村民引导下看到至少五种不同类型的恐龙行迹。这些足迹见证了地球生命从三叠纪向侏罗纪过渡的关键时期,是恐龙考古爱好者避开大众旅行团的绝佳去处。
位于勒里贝北部的苏本溪遗址极具代表性,它就在 A1 公路旁的一座小桥下方。这里最神奇的地方在于地层呈现出明显的层次感,恐龙在不同地质时期留下的脚印像书页一样叠在一起。你要是仔细看,能发现足迹的形状差异很大,既有体型较小的三趾肉食性恐龙留下的尖锐抓痕,也有体型庞大的植食性恐龙留下的圆润深坑。这里的岩石表面目前已经识别出至少五个不同种类的足迹,其中有些足迹甚至清晰到能分辨出皮肤的纹理感。去这里最好找个当地小孩当向导,他们从小就在河床边玩,一眼就能带你找到那些被泥沙遮掩的脚印。
莫里贾(Morija)不仅是莱索托的文化中心,也是探索恐龙足迹的重要基地。莫里贾博物馆(Morija Museum & Archives)收藏了大量相关的科研资料,但真正的乐趣在于从博物馆出发进行的徒步。大约步行 15 到 20 分钟,就能在后山的岩石坡上看到成片的足迹。这里的脚印主要属于一种名为莱索托龙(Lesothosaurus)的小型恐龙。说实话,如果没有向导指点,你可能会觉得那只是一连串普通的水坑,但当你顺着这些脚印的走向看去,那种远古生物穿过荒原的画面感会瞬间扑面而来。
如果你担心户外风吹日晒影响观察,库廷(Quthing)的马塞纳特公主遗址(Masitise Cave House)附近有更为系统化的展示。这里的足迹遗址被建筑保护了起来,不再受雨水侵蚀。这里最著名的当属长达十几米的连续行走路径,完整记录了一只恐龙在泥泞地面上行走时的步幅变化。库廷海拔在 1500 米左右,气候比北部稍干燥,这里的足迹线条感极强,非常适合摄影爱好者记录细节。
在莱索托找恐龙脚印,完全依赖谷歌地图可能会让你在山里绕圈子。大部分遗址没有宏伟的大门或售票处,通常只是路边的一块简陋标牌。以苏本溪为例,定位到勒里贝(Hlotse)之后继续往北行驶约 7 公里,看到那一圈铁丝网围起来的地方就是了。如果看到路边有当地村民招手,不用太警惕,他们通常是想赚点带路费的临时向导。去这些地方建议租一辆底盘稍高的车,虽然大部分主干道是柏油路,但从路边开进遗址的那几百米往往全是碎石和泥洼。
莱索托的大部分露天遗址并没有官方统一的售票系统。在莫里贾博物馆,成人的参观门票大约是 50 洛蒂(LSL),这包含了馆内参观和部分指引。而在苏本溪这种野外场地,你给带路的当地人 30 到 50 洛蒂是比较合理的标准。千万别觉得这钱花得冤枉,如果没有他们指引,你很难在杂乱的岩石层中分辨出哪些是 2 亿年前的遗迹,哪些是现代牲畜踩出来的坑。另外,随身准备点 10 洛蒂的零钱,有些村民会主动帮你用水泼湿脚印,这样拍出来的照片对比度更高,效果极佳。
不需要。大部分遗址如苏本溪和莫里贾都是全天开放的户外场所,随到随看。不过莫里贾博物馆有固定营业时间,通常是周一至周六的 8:30 到 17:00,建议在下午三点前到达以便预留徒步时间。
建议避开 11 月至次年 3 月的雨季。雨季的大雨经常会导致苏本溪等河床地带被洪水淹没或覆盖厚厚的淤泥,根本看不见脚印。5 月到 9 月的旱季是最佳时间,虽然气温较低甚至会降至零下,但天空晴朗且足迹暴露最完整。
这些全部是真实的生物化石印迹。它们是由早侏罗纪时期的恐龙在潮湿的泥滩或河床上行走后,经过干涸、覆盖和数千万年的矿化形成的,并非人工雕刻。莱索托的地质构造非常特殊,这种砂岩层完美保留了 1.8 亿年前的生物活动瞬间。
Shannon Stegall Our guide was very enthusiastic and showed us 3 different species’ footprints along with some prehistoric worm trails, a plant fossil, and some bones. We didn’t mind the erosion (as mentioned by previous visitors); that’s nature! We were just grateful to get to see what we could because it’s not something you get to see everywhere!!
Christo Vorster Not worth the effort. Interesting. But the prints are so eroded you need an imagination to really see it.
Clemes K. We passed by when we went from Maliba to Maseru. The guide was really nice, helpful and showed us around. He knows a lot about dinosaurs and since he learned that all by himself it is even more impressive. You can really get close to all the footprints and also touch them. It depends how much water there is in the river, so you can see them best during winter time. We had a great time there!
R M Really nice place! The guide is great. He wants R50 for a whole tour and will spend almost the whole day with you. He can also show you other things around. It is really sad to see that the government is not interested in these footprints. Noone cares and the water is covering already that many. They are waiting everyday for a paleontologist to come, but noone cares. I really hope that one day these footprints will get the attention they deserve. It is also really hard that GB just came to take the dinosaur-bones to their national museum but is not interested in helping them.
Rebecca Brauchli Even if the archaeological/palaeontological site may not meet western standards (does it have to?), definitely recommended: super location on the river, fascinating landscape, super nice guides. Definitely go there especially if you have one, two, or more little dinosaur fans in your family like we do. They will never forget it :)